Co-CREATE Consortium at the Degrees Global Forum on SRM

With the US government actively supporting a program of solar geoengineering research and the EU in the process of clarifying its position, the question of how such research should be governed has been given new urgency. This paper argues that innovation would be required in the structures and procedures of existing institutions for the oversight of scientific research, if they are to adequately fulfil the requirements of legitimacy, procedural justice, and recognition to which recent major proposed research governance frameworks aspire. The paper proceeds as follows. First, it argues that SRM research is importantly dissimilar from climate research but bears more similarity to other high-risk research areas, implying the need for special institutional arrangements. Second, we identify the special challenges of legitimacy, procedural justice, and recognition are identified, with respect to the potential global, intergenerational and cross-community scope of legitimation requirements. Third, we argue that achieving legitimacy in the context of SRM research governance must include considerations of justice as recognition. Finally, we consider the institutional implications of legitimate and recognition-inclusive SRM research institutions 

Presenters (Co-CREATE Partners in Bold):

• Bennet Francis (University of Twente)
• Sven Schade (European Commission)
• Xavier Landes (Stockholm School of Economics in Riga)
• Portia Adade Williams (Science and Technology Policy Research Institute) 

SRM poses a critical governance dilemma: can research be conducted without sliding toward deployment (the oft-cited slippery slope concern), or is it possible to draw clear boundaries (bright lines) between research and use? This session examines the complexities of these concepts, asking whether a thoughtfully designed research ecosystem can empower informed, inclusive decision-making on SRM—without predetermining a trajectory toward deployment. Through real-world case studies, emerging evidence, and diverse stakeholder perspectives, the session explores how precautionary research frameworks could mitigate risks while maintaining public trust and legitimacy.  

Presenters (Co-CREATE Partners in Bold):

• Matthias Honegger (Centre for Future Generations) 
• Shuchi Talati (Alliance for Just Deliberation on Solar Geoengineering)
• Pornampai Narenpitak (Thailand National Science and Technology Development Agency)
• Alia Hassan (Alliance for Just Deliberation on Solar Geoengineering) 

This World Café session aims to explore how the technical, environmental, social, and policy challenges of SRM field experiments intersect, providing interdisciplinary insights that inform future governance frameworks and experimental design. Participants will engage with five diverse case studies of SRM field experiments – spanning small- to large-scale interventions in SAI, MCB, CCT, and sea ice thickening across different global geographies. 

Presenters (Co-CREATE Partners in Bold):

• Alistair Duffey (University College London)
• Peter Irvine (University of Chicago)
• Matthias Honegger (Centre for Future Generations) 
• Benjamin Redmond Roche (University College London) 

Presenters (Co-CREATE Partners in Bold):

• Pietro Andreoni (Polytechnic University of Milan) 
• Rachel Neef (University of Adelaide)
• Alia Hassan (Alliance for Just Deliberation on Solar Geoengineering)
• Axel Michaelowa (Perspectives Climate Research) 

As SRM research grows globally, there is a pressing need to open interdisciplinary dialogues. The field has been largely dominated by climate sciences, and social sciences have been mainly introduced through quantitative approaches and global perspectives. However, qualitative and local approaches are essential to gain a deeper understanding of the social, cultural, and institutional dimensions of SRM research. 

This session will foster an interdisciplinary dialogue among experts with diverse epistemological and methodological backgrounds, to build synergies and bridges among their approaches. Participants will examine how localized, culturally embedded perspectives can complement technical models and global paradigms, creating a more complex understanding of SRM. Special emphasis will be placed on how to this dialogue can incorporate perspectives from both the Global North and South. 

Presenters (Co-CREATE Partners in Bold)

• Julia Guivant (Federal University of Santa Catarina)
• Jesse Reynolds (Degrees Initiative) 
• Hassaan Sipra (Alliance for Just Deliberation on Solar Geoengineering)
• María Inés Carabajal (University of Buenos Aires)